How often do you think about food? Not just what sounds good to eat, but where your food comes from and what it’s doing to your body and the planet? Growing up, I never thought about any of that. It was prepared and made for the family and that’s what I ate. It wasn’t until I was older did those thoughts ever cross my mind.
It wasn’t until I decided to change my diet and lifestyle habits, that I really started learning more about all this. Along my journey, I found some pretty amazing authors and health warriors that have helped me learn and grow as a Health Coach.
Here are some of their quotes that will hopefully get you thinking about your food and lifestyle choices.
Alicia Silverstone
“I don’t have any understanding of a human being who doesn’t respect the beauty of life and that goes for all creatures that have thoughts, feelings and needs.”
“I never count calories, but I eat so well.”
“I don’t take any of the medications I took when I was younger: antibiotics, antacids, aspirin, asthma inhalers, ulcer medication, allergy shots.”
Kathy Freston
“Here’s the secret to weight loss; it’s all about crowding out, not cutting out.”
“Most diets would have you cutting things out from your diet; they are about denial and discipline.”
“Hunger and self-control do not go hand in hand.”
“Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. When you feed yourself what your body needs when it needs it, that’s love. So give your body some TLC and sit down and enjoy a good, substantial breakfast.”
“Know your body, understand your mind and embrace your spiritual path.”
Jonathan Safran Foer
“Every factory-farmed animal is, as a practice, treated in ways that would be illegal if it were a dog or a cat.”
“Food is not just what we put in our mouths to fill up; it is culture and identity. Reason plays some role in our decisions about food, but it’s rarely driving the car.”
“Not responding is a response – we are equally responsible for what we don’t do.”
“Since the world has changed so much, the same values don’t lead to the same choices anymore.”
Michael Pollan
“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
“Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.”
“You are what you eat.”
“Don’t eat anything incapable of rotting.”
“If it came from a plant, eat it; if it was made in a plant, don’t.”
“The whiter the bread, the sooner you’ll be dead.”
“Shop the peripheries of the supermarket and stay out of the middle.”
Rory Freedman
“Whenever you see the words “fat-free” or “low-fat”, think of the words “Chemical Shit Storm.”
“People in other cultures consume half the amount of protein that we do, yet they live longer, healthier lives.”
“You are what you eat. You are a human body comprised of organs, blood and guts, and other shit. The food you put into your body works its way through your organs and bloodstream and is actually part of who you are. So every time you put crap in your body, you are crap.”
“Never feel like or say you are “giving up” your favorite foods. Those words have a negative connotation, like you are sacrificing something. You’re not “giving up” anything. You are simply empowered now and able to make educated, controlled choices about what you will and won’t put into your body, your temple.”
“And when all feels hopeless, remember that you are in charge of what goes into your body, you don’t answer to anyone, and you are allowed to eat anything you want. Often just knowing we can eat whatever we want is enough to keep us from eating whatever we want. We’re so rebellious.”
Those were great, right? If you couldn’t tell, most of those quotes all have to do with eating a more plant-based diet.
Learning more about how making better food choices could improve my health changed my life for the better. It was quite the adventure for me. Before switching my diet, my family lived on boxed, packaged and processed foods.
Now, we make healthier choices when it comes to what we eat and drink and feel so much better for it. Changing our diet wasn’t always easy, however, it was totally worth it.
